Centering and guiding means for pins, studs, and like fastening elements



Sept. 4, 1956 J. E. WILL MS ETAL 2,761,348

CENTERING AND cumm EANS FOR PINS, s'runs AND LIKE FASTENING ELEMENTS Filed April 50, 1952 $43 wwagww United States Patent CENTERING AND GUIDING MEANS FOR PINS, STUDS, AND LIKE FASTENING ELEMENTS Jesse E. Williams, Bay Village, and Charles J. lQeCaro, Cleveland, Ohio, assignors to Portable Industries, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application April 39, 1952, Serial No. 285,164

3 Claims. (CI. 85-10) This invention relates to centering and guiding means for metal pins, studs and like fastening, elements of the type whichare fired into steel, concrete, masonry and like materials by the use of explosively actuated hand tools.

The invention has for one of its objects the provision of centering and guiding means for not only the rear end portions of fastening elements of the aforesaid type but also, centering and guiding means for the front end portions of such fastening elements, thereby insuring that said fastening elements will be truly centered in the-barrel bores of the tools in which they are usedlandtruly guided in their travel through said bores.

A further object of the present invention is the provision, for fastening elements of the aforesaid type, of centering and guiding means in the form of simple and inexpensive one-piece members :which are capable of being. easily and quickly slipped onto the front and rear end portions of such fastening elements and of being frictionally retained thereon for the performance of their intended functions.

A further object of the present invention is the provision, for fastening elements of the aforesaid type, of centering and guiding members which are made of a material having a lubricating effect upon the fasteningelements and the tool barrel bores in which they are used, such as a polyethylene plastic material, for example.

A further object of the present invention is the provision, for fastening elements of the aforesaid type, of centering and guiding members which perform the additional function of sealing the entrance openings, around said fastening elements, in the steel, concrete, masonry or other material into which the fastening elements are fired in use thereof.

A further object of the present invention is the provision, for fastening elements of the aforesaid type, of centering and guiding members which are capable of performing their intended functions notwithstanding certain diametrical variations in the members themselves and/or in the bores of the tool barrels in which they are used.

Further objects of the present invention, and certain V of its practical advantages, will be refer-red tozin or will be evident from the following description of several embodiments of the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 'l is a front perspective view, on a much enlarged scale, 'of a centering and guiding member for the front end portion of a pin, stud or like fastening element of the type which is fired into steel, concrete, masonry and like materials by the use of explosively actuated hand tools, said centering and guiding member embodying one form of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a-longitudinal sectional view, on a somewhat reduced scale from Fig. 1, of a part of the front end portion' of the barrel of an explosively actuated hand tool and containing in the bore thereof a fasteningelement of the aforesaid type, the front and rear end portions of said fastening element being provided with centering-and Patented Sept. 4, 1956 2. guiding members embodying the present invention, the front centering. and guiding member being of the form showninFig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a View similar to and on the scale of Fig. 1 and showing a modified form of centering and guiding member for the front end portion of a fastening element of the aforesaid type;

Fig. 4 is a View corresponding -to and on the scale of Fig. 2, but with the front end portion of the fastening element being provided with a centering and guiding member of the form shown in Fig. 3, and with the centering; and guiding member for the rear end portion of the fastening element having a relatively thin flexible wall for gas sealing purposes;

Fig. 5 is a view generally similar to Figs. 2 and 4, but with the front end portion of the fastening element being provided with a centering and guiding member embody ing, still another form of the present invention; and

Fig. 6 is a sectional view showing a fastening element of the aforesaid type anchored in a piece of steel, concrete, masonry or the like, and further showing the manner in which the entrance opening in such material, around the fastening element, is sealed by one of the present centering. and guiding members.

Before specifically describing the centering and guiding members here illustrated for the disclosure of certain embodiments of the present invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the particular details of construction or the particular arrangements of parts here shown, as centering and guiding members embodying the. present invention may take other forms and other arrangements. It also is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology herein used is for purposes of description and not of limitation, as the scope of the present invention is denoted by the appended claims.

As heretofore mentioned and as will hereinafter more fully appear, the present centering and guiding members are for metal pins, studs and like fastening elements of the type which are fired into steel, concrete, masonry and like; materials by the use of explosively actuated hand tools, a stud S of such type being shown in Fig. 2 and a pin P in Fig. 4-.-

For the centering of such pins, studs and like fasteningelements in the barrel bores of such hand tools, such as the bores B of the tool barrels TB fiagmentarily shown in Figs. 2, 4 and 5, and for the guidance of said fastening elements through said bores, it has been the practice .to. provide the fastening elements with headed portions or lateral enlargements at their rear ends, of either threaded or unthreaded character, for centering and guiding; contact with the tool barrels. However, as such headed portions or lateral enlargements have. been formed as integral parts of the. fastening elements and henceof rigid character, their provision has been rather costly, inasmuch as considerable metal has to be scrapped in their formation and much care exercised in seeing to: it that they are of proper diametrical size, with smooth side wall surfaces.

Of even. greater importance, however, is the fact that headed portions or lateral enlargements at the rear ends of fastening elements of the type here involved are not suflicient -to provide true centering and true guiding of the fastening elements. in and throughthe tool barrels in which they are used. As a result, right angular penetration of the fastening elements into the steel, concrete, masonry and like materials, so. desirable from the standpoint of safety and secure anchorage.

of the fastening elements, does not always occur, even when the tool barrels have been heldjagainst such materials. with the longitudinal axes of the barrel bores. at

rightangl-esthereto.

In accordance with the present invention, therefore,

3 centering and guiding means are provided for not only the rear end portions of the here involved type of fastening elements but also, for the front end portions thereof, the front centering and guiding means cooperating with the rear centering and guiding means to insure true centering of the fastening elements in the tool barrel bores in which they are used and true guidance of the fastening elements in their travel through said bores. Moreover, as such centering and guiding means are in the form of simple one piece members which are readily applied to and frictionally retained on the fastening elements, and of a form and material which give them some yieldability and thus makes unnecessary adherence to exact diametric standards, the provision of such centering and guiding members adds but little to the cost of the fastening elements, all as will hereinafter more fully appear.

In the embodiments of the invention here illustrated, the centering and guiding members for the rear end portions of fastening elements of the here involved type are of cup shape, with outside diameters to properly fit the tool barrels in which they are to be used and with sockets or chambers of such diametral size as to frictionally grip the rear end portions of the fastening elements with which they are to be used. In Fig. 2 is shown such a centering and guiding member for the threaded rear end portion 11 of the stud S and in Fig. 4 is shown such a centering and guiding member 12 for the plain or non-threaded rear end portion 13 of the pin P. As will be evident from these two views and as will be readily understood, the length of these rear centering and guiding members may be varied as desired, although their length should be suflicient, of course, to provide ample contact with the tool barrels for effective centering and guiding of the fastening elements in and through the tool barrels. Similarly, the wall thickness of these rear centering and guiding members may be varied as desired, although the thickness of the side walls of the members will depend, of course,'upon the diametral sizes of the rear end portions of the'fastening elements with which they are to be used and of the tool barrel bores in which the fastening elements are to be used. 7

As to the centering and guiding members for the front end portions of the fastening elements, three such members embodying the present invention are here illustrated. Each includes a body portion for frictionally gripping the front end portion of a fastening element for its retention thereon and an outwardly extending radial flange for centering and guiding engagement with the tool barrel in which the fastening element is to be used.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, the front centering and guiding member 14 has a conical shaped body portion 15, for gripping engagement with and frictional retention on the. correspondingly shaped nose 16 of the front end portion of the stud S, and also has an outwardly extending annular flange 17, at the rear end of and integral with said body portion 15, for centering and guiding engagement with the tool barrel in which the stud S is to be used, such as the tool barrel TB fragmentarily shown in Fig. 2.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4, the front centering and guiding member 18 has a tubular body portion 19 of generally cylindrical form for gripping engagement with and frictional retention on the cylindrical part 20 of the front end portion of the pin P just rearwardly of the nose 21 of such front end portion, and also has an outwardly extending annular flange 22, at the rear end of and integral with said body portion 19, for centering and guiding engagement with the tool barrel in which said pin is to be used, such as the tool barrel TB fragmentarily shown in Fig. 4.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Fig. 5, the front centering and guiding member 23 is generally similar to the one of Figs. 3 and 4, except that the member 23 is formed for gripping engagement with and frictional retention on the conical shaped nose 24 of the fastening element just rearwardly of the tip of such nose. As a result, the tubular body portion 25 of member 23, and the tool barrel engaging flange 26 thereof, are jointly formed with a frusto-conical opening for the reception of the fastening element nose 24, as shown.

One advantage of the front centering and guiding members of Figs. 1 and 2 and of Fig. 5 is that they cannot move back along the fastening elements as such elements are inserted into the tool barrel bores, as will be readily understood.

As will be readily understood, front centering and guiding members embodying the present invention may be made in any desired lengths and of any desired wall thicknesses. If desired and as here shown, the front centering and guiding members may be so formed that the flanges thereof have an outside diameter slightly greater than the diameter of the tool barrel bores in which they are to be used. As a result, when the fastening elements provided with said centering and guiding members are inserted into the tool barrel bores, from tool barrels sufficiently firm to hold the fastening elements in the positions, along the longitudinal axes of the tool barrel bores, to which they are manually moved. This enables the fastening elements to be located, of course, in any desired spaced relationship with respect to the powder loads or explosive charges of the tools, it being well known that the less the spacing, the greater the force of the explosive charge will be on the fastening element and hence the greater the degree of penetration of the fastening element into the work, all as will be readily understood.

Although centering and guiding members for the front and rear end portions of fastening elements of the here involved type may be made of any suitable materials, such as a soft ductile metal, for example, they preferably are made of a material having a lubricating quality, such as a polyethylene plastic material, for example.

By making the centering and guiding members of a material which has a lubricating quality, such as the aforementioned polyethylene plastic material, the fastening elements automatically will be desirably lubricated as they are driven into the steel, concrete, masonry or like materials, and the tool barrels also, of course, will be desirably lubricated and cleaned, automatically, by the centering and guiding members, as will be readily understood.

In addition to their centering and guiding functions, the front centering and guiding members also perform the important function of sealing the entrance openings, around thefastening elements, in the steel, concrete, masonry or the like into which the fastening elements are fired in use thereof. Such use of the front centering and guiding member 14 of Figs. 1 and 2 is shown in Fig. 6, wherein the entrance opening in the steel, concrete, masonry or like material M is sealed around the fastening element which is anchored in such material by the now mushroomed centering and guiding member 14. If the material into which thefastening element is driven is concrete, the front centering and guiding member effectively reduces the spelling of the concrete and protects it from the fUill blast of the tool explosive charge. In all instances, the entrance openings are sealed against water or other liquids which might tend to loosen the joint or connection between the fastening element and the material into which it is fired.

Although the rear centering and guiding member of Fig. 2 may have some gas sealing effect, if the material of which it is made has at least some flexibility, the rear centering and guiding member 12 of Fig. 4 is so formed that it provides a most effective gas seal, a seal to hold back the effect of the explosive charge until the pressure thereof has built up to the desired degree. As shown in Fig. 4, the rear end wall 12a of the centering and guiding member is of reduced thickness, of convex form and of suflicient flexibility to cause it to radially expand under the force of the exploded gases and thereby provide, in conjunction with the tool barrel, an effective seal for said gases, as indicated in dot-dash lines, Fig. 4. The flanges of the front centering and guiding members also assist in the provision of a gas seal, as will be readily understood.

Although it is believed to be economically advisable to slip the present centering and guiding members onto the front and rear end portions of the fastening elements, with said members having a press fit on said fastening elements for their retention, the centering and guiding members, either front or rear or both, may be molded on the fastening elements, if that is desired.

From the foregoing description, it will be evident that the present centering and guiding members, for the front and rear end portions of pins, studs and like fastening elements which are fired into steel, concrete, masonry, etc. by the use of explosively actuated hand tools, effectively and truly center the fastening elements in the barrel bores of such tools and effectively and truly guide such fastening elements in their travel through said barrel bores; that said members are of simple and inexpensive form and capable of being properly retained on said fastening elements; that although the flanges thereof are preferably diametrically oversize with respect to the tool barrel bores, the centering and guiding members may be used in such bores without impairment in the performance of their centering and guiding functions; that said members desirably lubricate, automatically, the fastening elements with which they are used and the tool barrels in which they are used; and that the front centering and guiding members also perform the function of effectively sealing the entrance openings in the materials into which the fastening elements are fired.

To those skilled in the art to which the present invention relates, other features and advantages of centering and guiding members embodying the present invention Will be evident from the foregoing description of certain embodiments thereof.

What we claim is:

1. A stud for insertion into relatively hard material by its ejection through the bore of the barrel of an explosively actuated stud driving tool, said stud comprising a shank porion and a headed rear end portion, said headed portion being of a cross dimensional size generally corresponding to that of said barrel bore, whereby said headed portion serves as a rear guiding and centering means for the stud in its ejection through said barrel bore, the shank portion of said stud being a cross-dimensional size appreciably less than that of the headed portion thereof and said shank portion having a front end part tapered to a point to facilitate the insertion of the stud into said relatively hard material, said stud also having a front guiding and centering means which comprises a onepiece member having a flexible generally conical-shaped body portion frictionally retained on the stud shank portion and axially spaced from said stud headed portion, said body portion having a tapered socket closed at its front end and of a size and shape corresponding to and snugly engaging the tapered front end part of said stud shank portion, and said front guiding and centering member also having anannular flexible resilientflange integral with and extending generally radially outwardly from the rear end part of said conical-shaped body portion and-of an outer diameter at least equal tothe outerdiameter of said stud headed portion. for yieldable guiding and centering engagement with the tool barrel in the ejection of the stud through the bore of said barrel.

2. A stud for insertion into relatively hard material by its ejection through the bore of the barrel of an explosively actuated stud driving tool, said stud comprising a shank portion and a headed rear end portion, said headed portion being of a cross dimensional size generally corresponding to that of said barrel bore, whereby said headed portion serves as a rear guiding and centering means for the stud in its ejection through said barrel bore, the shank portion of said stud being of a cross-dimensional size appreciably less that that of the headed portion thereof and said shank portion having a front end part tapered to a point to facilitate the insertion of the stud into said relatively hard material, said stud also having a front guiding and centering means which comprises a one-piece member of non-metallic plastic material having a flexible generally conical-shaped body portion frictionally retained on the stud shank portion and axially spaced from said stud headed portion, said body portion having a tapered socket at its front end and of a size and shape generally corresponding to and snugly engaging the tapered front end part of said stud shank portion, and said front guiding and centering member also having flexible resilient circumferentially disposed flange means integral with and extending generally radially outwardly from the rear end part of said conicalshaped body portion and of an outer diameter at least equal to the outer diameter of said stud headed portion for yieldable guiding and centering engagement with the tool barrel in the ejection of the stud through the bore of said barrel.

3. A stud for insertion into relatively hard material by its ejection through the bore of the barrel of an explosively actuated stud driving tool, said stud comprising a shank portion and a headed rear end portion, said headed portion being of a cross dimensional size generally corresponding to that of said barrel bore, whereby said headed portion serves as a rear guiding and centering means for the stud in its ejection through said barrel bore, the shank portion of said stud being of a crossdimensional size appreciably less than that of the headed portion thereof and said shank portion having a front end part tapered to a point to facilitate the insertion of the stud into said relatively hard material, said stud also having a front guiding and centering means which comprises a one-piece member having a flexible generally conicalashaped body portion frictionally retained on the stud shank portion and axially spaced from said stud headed portion, said body portion having a tapered socket at its front end and of a size and shape generally corresponding to and snugly engaging the tapered front end part of said stud shank portion, and said front guiding and centering member also having flexible resilient circumferentially disposed flange means integral with and extending generally radially outwardly from the rear end part of said conical-shaped body portion and of an outer diameter at least equal to the outer diameter of said stud headed portion for yieldable guiding and centering engagement with the tool barrel in the ejection of the stud through the bore of said barrel.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS (Other references on following page) 7 UNITED STATES PATENTS Janecek et a1 Mar. 30, 1943 Thurchek Aug. 31, 1943 Turechek Dec. 14, 1943 Turechek Oct. 10, 1944 Dunn May 28, 1946 Wales Apr. 22, 1952 Webber et a1 May 5, 1953.

Ser. No. 276,093, Schlimberger (A. P. C), published Germany Feb. 27, 1941' OTHER REFERENCES May 27, 1939 (abandoned). 

